The Houston Rockets are working to hire Hakeem Olajuwon to work with Dwight Howard and Omer Asik, general manager Daryl Morey told The Houston Chronicle.

Olajuwon, 50, has become a tutor for NBA big men but the Rockets want their all-time leading scorer to mentor their current centers as an official team employee.

"We are going to bring him in as full-time as is possible," Morey told the newspaper Sunday. "It's not done, but we have mutual interest to get it done, and we've had some early discussions.

"We want him to work with Dwight and Omer, and he wants to do that."

Olajuwon -- who was with Rockets personnel in Los Angeles earlier this month when the team made its initial pitch to Howard at the opening of free agency -- has worked with Howard in the past. He also was at Howard's news conference Saturday when he was introduced by the Rockets after signing a four-year contract worth about $88 million.